MV Sirius Star

Summary

Somali pirates hijacked the newly-built Liberian-flagged VLCC Sirius Star (Saudi Aramco-owned via Vela International Marine) approximately 450 nautical miles southeast of Kenya — dramatically further from the Somali coast than any previous Somali hijack. The vessel was fully laden with ~2 million barrels of Saudi crude worth ~$100 million. 25 crew (Filipino, Croatian, British, Polish, Saudi) were held for 2 months. Released on 9 January 2009 after a reported $3 million ransom parachuted onto the deck. The Sirius Star hijack demonstrated Somali piracy's expanding operational range + drove the mandatory Best Management Practices (BMP) for high-risk area transits.

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• MV Maersk Alabama · 2009-04-08 · attempted hijack
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